SC - Byzantine Bread Stamps

[Laura C. Minnick]

LrdRas at aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 3/15/00 11:11:38 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> Mordonna22 at aol.com writes:
> 
> << (for some reason many congregations set this
>  at around 12) >>
> 
> Because this is the age at when childbearing begins.
> 
> Ras

Not for males, it isn't! ;-)

In the canon law, 12 is the age at which a child must formally confirm
an earlier betrothal, or it's off. Also, girls may legally be married at
12 (14 for boys). And in some areas, an heir (especially a ruler) may
begin to take _some_ adult levels of responsibility for the inheritance.
And legally, 12 is the age at which there are the beginnings of legal
culpability for actions committed, or committed against. It seems that
there is an idea that somewhere around 12 a child gains an awareness of
the world around him that puts him on the road to adulthood.

My suspicion is that vestiges of this linger in other places...

'Lainie